ALMOST EASY WINS

This list follows on from the previous post for games that almost require no effort to put on.  With just a little work or thought I can easily roll out the following games and campaigns;

WW2 Operation Goodwood

OK this should not have been on the previous list as it does require me building the railway embankment.  But I have been experimenting with the process for the East African operational game and I want to do a similarly elaborate rail bridge and embankment for some Franco-Prussian games and this would move me along in the right direction.

WW2 Operation Battleaxe

Mark got me thinking about resurrecting this game we last played about 10 years ago!  With all the terrain and troops ready I only need to polish the rules system and I'm ready to go.

18th Century Naval

This is more of a steady slow burn.  As I previously posted, I have the first historical action ready to play.  However, I need more ships to roll out more of the larger actions but all I need to do is buy another starter pack at each show I attend and a month to 6 weeks later I have another action or battle ready to play.  I have found this a very manageable way to keep a project bubbling along - and of course the Brigade Miniatures 2mm fortifications and buildings give me further options to do amphibious actions like the siege of Louiseburg or the assault on Quebec.

Franco-Prussian Battles and Campaign

Again, I have the armies ready for my first battle.  However, I also have more French, Prussians and even Austrians ready for rebasing and playing the great mid-19th century European battles.

WW1 Mesopotamia

Slightly off the beaten track, this is an epic campaign theatre featuring camels, arab irregulars, gunboats as well as regular Ottoman, British Empire troops and even the Russians.  I already have the terrain and I am currently building river sections.  However, I do not have the troops and this would be a large project for me to begin.  Nevertheless, I have a few simple scenarios to get the ball rolling and I can use my WW2 Italians and British as stand-ins allowing me to dip my toe before making the plunge - easy!

River Sections

I finished a 4 foot section last year and I am now experimenting with curved pieces before I have a go  at building a harbour.  One piece at a time is not burdensome whilst giving me more options to play different games.

Iran-Iraq War

This project continues to advance and I am now able to put on a mountain scenario.  In many ways this is terrain driven and I am looking forward to completing the oil fields, marshalling yards, international airports, city and port areas required for many of the games,

Operation Nostalgia

This is a project that has been on the horizon for many years.  A Mediterranean or Pacific version of this multiple island campaign are both viable.  I already have the troops, ships and terrain to play one island before deciding to commit to building about ten different versions.  A couple of games could well help make the build project a lot easier.

Fort Dolgoroduc

I will be putting on a version of the East African game at Joy of Six as I have all the terrain and troops ready.  However, I have a few months to give it a bit of a polish and I will be building the Italian Fort Dolgoroduc.  In the original game I used Timecast entrenchments - which were fine - but I was thinking of building a more elaborate rendition using Steve's Atlantic Wall sections and some home built MG/Gun towers.  Should be fun and not a lot of work.

Magnus Imperium

Mark has all the armies covered for Grand Armee but I would really like to paint up an army for Magnus Imperium.  Ideally, I would like to base it in the desert so that I can use my terrain boards.  Contenders are Byzantines v Persians, Crusaders v Saracens, or two Biblical opponents like Egyptians v Hittites?

Obviously it would take a few months to paint up an army but as an easier way of honing the troop types, rules and army organisation I would like to play some games with just the bases - an easier way of getting it right before doing the work!

Or

Privates on Parade

Once a month, or sooner if I get the chance, I intend to get an army out of the draws and onto the table.  It's not really a great deal of effort but I do find you look at what you already have with fresh eyes and often rediscover something you had forgotten about.  Again, with very little effort I may just remember what it was that got me so enthused to paint the figures in the first place and get the creative energy boiling for a project I already have ready to play - easy!

EASY WINS

It's that time of the year again when wargamers look ahead and make ambitious plans for buying new armies and dreaming up grand campaigns.

However, and I am guilty of this, the temptation is to draw up some elaborate framework of future games that requires hours of painting and denies any opportunity to slip in some new and shiny period or project.  The plan might last the first few months but bears no resemblance by six months and is wheezing away in some forgotten corner of your mind by the end of the year.  Worse, the plan can hang over us like some portent of doom which can kill off any spontaneity and lead to that worst of wargaming maladies - loss of mojo!

So, do we kick all plans into the long grass and run free like nature intended?

Of course not, and here is my alternative plan for creating easy wins with no or little work involved.

EASY WINS

WW2 Alamein

I have a Rapid fire campaign book and a lot of pdf scenarios that can keep me in Thursday and Saturday games for the rest of the year.  Well detailed and easy to pick up these can be small or very big affairs.

Battle of the Bulge

There is a linked campaign in "Forgotten Battles" - I suspect Mark has all the troops for this - what a great way to spend three consecutive Thursdays.

Operation Goodwood

This perhaps shouldn't be on the list as I would need to make the railway embankment that dominates the centre of the table - but it wouldn't take me long!  Russ and Mark have the figures and the rest of the terrain is done.  Again, this is another excellent Rapid fire scenario.

ECW in Cheshire and the North Wales

The course at the Nantwich museum was inspirational.  For anyone interested I can walk the battlefields of Middlewich, Nantwich, Rowton Moor and Denbigh and follow up with a battle - if I can get these all played this year I would be impressed - and no work is required.

Napoleonic - Battle of Leipzig

Many years ago, in an issue of Miniature Wargames (I think the same one that inspired the operational games!) there was an article about the Battle of Leipzig in which the French players sat enclosed by tables on every side.  Where they sat was Dresden whilst the Allied players brought their separate armies from all directions.  The French, in the centre, would have to husband and redirect their armies in every direction to pull off a win.  This is a very big battle, up there with Waterloo, but I think Mark may have all the troops for this.

Franco-Prussian

Battle of Spicheren, using the Bloody Big Battle rules, is ready for a Thursday night outing - I just need Mark's terrain hexes to represent the historic battlefield.

Gettysburg

I think Jon may have all the troops for the first day?  If so, we should fight this using Mark's hex terrain.  In addition, Mark could give the whole battle a try using Napoleonic armies and we could get the hex terrain played upon in advance of playing it using ACW troops.

18th Century Naval

I'm ready to put on the Combat of Cape Francis, my first historic naval action.

Guadalcanal Naval Campaign

I have a rule set to play the entire campaign - and with Mark I have all the ships.

All the above are ready to roll and require little if any effort.  I think it would take a year to get this lot played and in the meantime they would serve as inspiration for other armies, periods and campaigns.  I'm sure others could easily add to this list.